Customer Reviews

Threads of Time

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The premise behind this volume is to present three novellas, a form not usually anthologized, by three important science fiction writers. The title is actually a bit misleading, since these stories don't focus very much on the theme of time. Instead, the common thread is one of secrecy. Each story features a secret that a select group is keeping from society as a whole. How these secrets are exposed tells us a great deal about how the authors see the foibles of the human race.

In Gregory Benford's "Threads of Time" an increasingly powerful religious group called the 'New Sons' hopes to keep an astonishing discovery from the public. The heroines's narrow escapes on the Moon are very effectively portrayed, but this reviewer found the ultimate resolution plain depressing, with little trace of any redemption for humanity, a criticism that has been leveled at Benford before. Clifford Simak's "The Marathon Photograph" is lighter, almost folksy at points, which undercuts any meaningful impression he may have wanted to create. The tale revolves around a secret lodge tucked away in the hills far from civilization, and the unfortunate death of its caretaker, an event that sets off a series of absurd co-incidences, the worst offense being that the photograph is discovered by the one person in the world who would recognize its significance. Even apart from that, the story doesn't really hang together very well. Simak puts plenty of wild gadgets and interesting ideas into this story, but doesn't take the time to develop them fully or even integrate them very well. There isn't enough focus to create the one specific effect that the ending calls for, and the story falls rather flat despite its revelations. Norman Spinrad's "Ride the Torch" is very good, easily the best of the three, although one wishes that the ending (with God and Satan arguing) wasn't quite so cheesy. But prior to that Spinrad tells a good story, quickly sketching the unique social arrangement, getting us interested in the main character, throwing in lots of futuristic technology and effects, and managing to remain upbeat despite the most dire of circumstances humanity could possibly face: being trapped in space with nowhere to go.

If you pick up this book, read Benford's story when you're mad at the world - his cynicism should suit your mood perfectly. Simak's story can be read any time; its scrambled intentions probably won't have much impact either way. But save the Spinrad tale for when you have the time to savor it. It's not quite top-notch, but it's almost enough to make this collection worth while.